Horse-power regulator



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. F. HART. Hons POWER-REGULATOR. No. 396,931. Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

. zvenfon' (No Model.) R 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. HART.

- HORSE POWER REGULATOR. No. 396,931. Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

Jfiiorn 625M.

N PETERS wmumo m hor, Washington. 11c

UNITE TaTns PATENT FFlQET FREDERICK HART, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK.

HORSE-POWER REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,931, dated January 29, 1889.

Application filed January 21, 1888. Serial No, 261,453. (No model.)

To all 1071 0711. if; may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK liner, of Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, (formerly of Reading, in the State of Pennsylvania,) have invented new and useful Improvements in H orse-Power Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a regulator for that class of horsepowcn's which are provided with an endless tread or apron upon which the horse or other animal stands, and which is set in motion by the animal, and from which power is transmitted by suitable gearing to a rotating shaft jonrnalcd in the frame in which the endless tread is mounted. It is well known that the force which the animal exerts upon the movable tread increases and decreases with the pitch of the tread, so that by raising and lowering either end of the tread the force which the animal exerts and the speed of the driven machinery can be regnlated.

The object of my invention is to adjust the pitch or inclination of the tread automatically, so that the speed of the rotating shaftis automatically governed and maintained with in certain limits of the desired normal speed, thereby adapting such horse-powers for use as motors in connection with machinery or apparatus which require for successful oper ation a uniform or nearly uniform motion as, for instance, centrifugal creamseparators.

My invention consis of the im n'ovements which will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets representing suitable apparatus for practicing my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a horsepower provided with my improved regulator. Fig. is a front eleva tion of the regulator on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the regulator. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the ratchet mechanism of the regulator. Fig. 5 a vertical longitudinal section in line a: a, Fig. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section in line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a cross-section in line 2 2, Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 8 is a horizontalsection of one end of the pinion-shaft and connecting parts.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section of the sliding collar to which the governor-balls are connected.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the frame of the horsepower; a, the bed-timbers thereof; B l, the drums j ournaled in the frame A and around which the endless tread runs; 1), the shaft which is directly driven by the endless tread, and b the shaft which is geared to the shaft b and to which the main pulley B is secured. All of these parts may be of any suitable or wellknown construction.

The bed-timbers a of the frame rest with their lower rear ends upon the ground or some other suitable support and with their elevated front ends upon the regulator, so that the elevated end of the frame is raised and lowered as may be necessary to maintain the normal speed. It is obvious, however, that the regulater ni ay be arranged under the lower end of the horse-power frame.

0 represents the frame of the regulator, consisting of upright side bars, 0 c, which are preferably curved concentrically with the heel or rear end of the horse-power frame, a top cross-piece, c, and a bottom cross-piece, 0 which latter may rest upon a sill, 0 The side bars, 0, are provided on their rear sides with gear-racks c.

D represents a horizontal shaft arranged transversely in rear of the regulator-frame C and provided with pinions (l d, which mesh with the gear-racks c.

E E represent bearing-frames in which the pinion'shaft D is journaled, and which are provided at their rear ends with plates or shoes (2 0, upon which the elevated ends of the bed-timbers a are supported, and to which they are secured by bolts 6. The frames E E extend forwardly on the outer sides of the side bars, 0 c, and are provided 011 the front sides of the latter with inwardly-projecting lugs 6 which stand opposite the pinions cl and prevent the latter from getting out of mesh with the gear-racks. By turning the shaft D in one or the other direction the front end of the horse-power is raised or lowered on the elevatonframe O.

F represents the horizontal governor-shaft,-

arranged transversely in front of the regulator-frame C and journaled in the frames E E.

f represents a pulley secured to the shaftF on the outer side of the bearing-frame E and driven from the main pulley B by a belt, f.

g-represents a worm secured to the shaftF on the inner side of the bearing-frame E and meshing with a worm-wheel, G, which turns upon a stud, y, secured to an arm, g extending upwardly from the bearing-frame E, as represented in Fig. 5.

Nil represent the governor weights or balls, connected by links 71 with a collar, 71, which is secured to the shaft l1 between the bearing-frames E E.

7&2 represents the links which connect the weights ll ll with a sliding collar, 1', mounted on the shaft F.

t" represents a sprin surrounding the shaft F between the sliding collar 1' and the fixed collar h, and tending to press the former away from the fixed collar and draw the weights toward the shaft 1 J represents a ratchet-shaft arranged longitudinally above the governor-shaft F and jour naled in the bearingdf ramc E, as represented in Fig. 6.

J is a ratchet-wheel secured to the front end of the shaft J.

7' is an upwardly projecting pawl, arm mounted loosely upon the shaft .1 in rear of the ratchet-wheel J, and connected with the worm-wheel G by a rod, j, so as to receive an oscillatory motion from the rotating wormwheel.

10' represent two pawls hung to the upper end of the arm and projecting therefrom in opposite directions over the face of the ratchet-wheel J, as shown in Fig. 2.

L is a curved shield or guard plate, which covers part of the face of the ratchet-wheel underneath the pawls k 7);, and is mounted loosely upon the hub of the ratchet-wheel J in front of the arm This guard-plate is provided on the under side of the shaft J with an arm, Z, which is connected by a rod, 1, with the sliding collar 2' on. the governor-shaft F.

m represents a worm secured to the rear end of the ratchet-shaft J, and M is a wormwheel secured to the pinion-shaft D underneath the worm m and meshing with the latter, so that by turning the ratchet-shaft J in one or the other direction the pinion-shaft D is correspondinglyrotated, and the front end of the horsepower is raised or lowered by the pinion d engaging with the gear-racks c".

N is a pulley secured to the governor-shaft F on the outer side of the bearing-frame E, and from which motion. is transmitted to the driven machinery or apparatus either directly or by suitable counter-shafting, as may be desired.

\Vhen the governor-shaft F rotates. at the normal speed, the governor-weights hold the shield L centrally above the ratchet-shaft J, in which position the shield supports both. pawls 7; 7t" out of contact with the ratchetwheel J. In this position of the ratchet meche anism the pawls produce no motion in the ratchet-wheel. and the horse-power frame remains stationary at the inclination orpitch at which the normal. speed is produced. hen the speed of the governor-shaft decreases below the normal speed by a decrease of the motive power, or increase of resistance in. the drivenmachinery, or other causes, the governor-weights approach the governor-shaft, the sliding collar f 'is pushed outwardly, thereby swinging the shield L from under the pawl 71;, as represcmted in Fig. 2, allowing the pawl 7a to engage with the ratchet-wheel. J. The pawl 7; now turns the ratchet-wheel J in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, whereby the shaft J is correspondingly turned. This motion of the ratchet-shaft J is transmitted to the pinion-shaft D through the worm m and worm-wheel M, and causes the front end of the horse-power frame to be raised until the normal speed is again established, when the shield L is returned to its normal position by the governor-balls, lifting the pawl 7; out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel and stoping the motion of the ratchet-shaft. \Vhen the speed of the governor-shaft increases beyond the normal speed, the shield L is swung over in the opposite direction from that above described, thereby allowing the pawl 7; to engage with the ratchet-wheel. This pawlturns the wheel J and shaft J in the opposite direction and causes the front end of the horsepower frame to be lowered until the normal speed is reached, when the pawl k is lifted out of engagement. The pitch of the worm m is so flat that its frictional contact with the worm-wheel M prevents the pinion-shaft D from running down on the gear-racks except when the worm is rotated in the proper direction by the ratchet-shaft The ratchetwhcel J is provided with ahandle for turning the shaft J by hand when desired. In this manner the speed of the governor-shaft is automatically maintained with but slight variations from the desired normal speed, thereby rendering animal-powers of the aforesaid. description available for driving machinery and ap mratus for which such motors have heretofore not been practicable, owing to the irregularity of the motion produced thereby. \Vhen it is not desired to obtain a high rate of speed, the regulating mechanism may be connected directly with the main shaft of the horse-power.

1 claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the verticallymov.ble horse-power tread, of a stationary .frame on which the tread can be raised and lowered to change its inclination, and a centrifugal. regulator attached to the tread and moving vertically therewith,whereby the vertical movement of the tread on said frame is automatically controlled, substantially as set forth.

2.. The combination, with the verticallymovable horse-power tread, of a stationary frame on which the tread can be raised and IIO lowered to change its inclination, a worm or screw interposed between the movable tread and the stationary frame, whereby the tread is frietionally held in position on the frame, and a centrifugal regulator whereby the vertical movement of the tread on the frame is automatically controlled, substantially as set forth.

The (combination, with the regulatorframe provided with gear-racks, of a pinionshaft provided with pinions meshing with said gear raclzs and adapted to be attached to the tread of the horse-power, a governorshaft which driven from the horse-power, a governor mounted on said shaft, and a ratchet mechanism cont-rolled by said governor and connected with said pinion-shaft, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the regulator t'rame provided with gear-racks, of bearingframes adapted to be attached to the horsepower tread, a pinion-shaft jonrnaled in said bearing-frames and provided with pinions which mesh with said racks, a governor-shaft jonrnaled in said bearing-frames, a governor attached to said shaft, and aratchet meelianism mounted on one of said bearing-frames which is geared with. the pinionsh al?t, controlled by the governor, and actuated from the governorshaft, substantially as set Forth.

5. The comljiiuation, with the regulatorframe 0, provided with gear-racks c", of the pinion-shaft D, provided with pinions (Z d, meshing with said gear-racks, bearing-frames E E, provided with plates e (a, a governor-shaft, F, provided with a worm, g, a centrifugal gov ernor mounted on said shaft, a worm-wheel, G, mounted on the bearingatrame E, a ratchetshat't, J, jourualed in the lmaring-frame E, a ratclH st-wheel, J, secured to the shaft J, a shield, L, controlled by the centrifugal governor, a pawl-arm, j, connected with the wornr wheel G, a worm, m, secured to the ratchet shaft J, and a worm-wheel, M, secured to the pinion-shaft I) and meshing with the worm m substantially as set forth.

lVitness my hand this 30th day of December, 1887.

FREDERICK HART.

\Vitnesses A. SEDewIcK, J. I. \VAKELEE. 

